Better Than Flowers
by fantasyanimegirl283
Summary: It seems like the only thing Cam cares about more than himself is flowers... and cats. Mostly flowers. A typhoon approaches and as Cam protects the things he cares about most, another thing comes along that also needs protecting. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or the title cover.**

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Better Than Flowers

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_Rain._ Cam had a love-hate romance with it. Sure, a nice drizzle of rain was always refreshing, a heavy downpour kept him inside to read while it did the work and watered his flowers, but a _storm_?

He hated those. It was too much rain. It would just drown his flowers, occasionally knock over the pots and destroy them by the harsh force of the raindrops and wind.

Today was much worse. He was in his room, watching the typhoon from his window in the middle of the summer season. Not only was it incredibly dangerous for both him and his flowers, but it was also sickly hot and humid.

He did not hate it- he despised it.

It was an uncomfortable feeling and he was sure the flowers felt the same too. It was the same feeling he always experienced whenever he talked to someone. The rain was like beads of cold, nervous sweat dribbling down his temple, the humidity like the awkward tension in the air. The silence. The only sound being the rain battering at the street, his heart pounding, pulse throbbing in his ears.

There was a loud boom of thunder as it struck the earth, causing the flower pots to tremble. He hated the sound too.

He faintly remembered Alisa saying once that the weather reflected the Harvest Goddess' mood. Was she that mad? And for what reason?

Oh Harvest Goddess, when will you stop torturing Cam with this typhoon? He couldn't possibly continue his day without worrying about the flower bed outside of the café... Luckily for his personally grown flowers, they were safe beneath the thick, plastic net. And yet, Cam still found himself fidgeting in his seat at the thought.

He patted his leg rhythmically and drummed his fingers on his knees, which were bobbing from balancing on his heels. His other rested on his lap, elbow jabbing into his thigh, his hand cupping his chin. Hunched over, he wore the usual blank expression on his face, his emerald eyes distant and unreadable. His thin lips formed into a small pout and his blond eyebrows were furrowed.

His flowers were okay, right? The sheet he put over them should protect them from the harsh weather...

The beat his fingers tapped on his knee sped up. He sucked in air through his clenched teeth.

_Maybe... not._

Cam stood up quickly, worried sick about the flowers he worked so hard on to keep healthy and beautiful. He rushed to the door, slipping on his shoes and grabbing his blue umbrella with the yellow stripe around it.

Laney heard him in his haste and called from the top of the stairs, "Cam, is that you? Where are you going?"

She went down the stairs when she didn't get an answer. She crossed her arms under her chest and raised her eyebrows. "Cam?"

"Out," he said simply, almost mumbling, "I'm just going out for a little bit."

He looked over his shoulder and met eyes with her, green clashing with green, both bright and narrowed at each other. And they wondered why people told them they looked alike. He added, burying his chin into the collar of his shirt, "I'll just be at the flower shop, I won't be long."

She shook her head. "You should stay inside on a day like today! This wind is almost strong enough to blow you away!"

"Exactly," he replied, turning away from her, his grip tightly on the doorknob, "I just hope my flowers don't blow away..."

"Oh, come on, Cam," Laney sighed, "they're just flowers. Your safety is more important!"

He huffed in reply, "I'll be fine, really, Laney."

He looked at her once more and tugged the corner of his lips slightly upwards reassuringly. Laney knew him long enough to understand that that was Cam's smile, but she rarely saw him really smiling before.

She sighed again before going back to her room. "Be careful."

Cam turned the doorknob and inhaled deeply, holding his breath. He braced himself as he swung open the door, feeling the blast of the wind like a cold slap in the face. It nearly knocked off his hat off his blond head. Guess he deserved it for underestimating the typhoon.

He could barely see through the pouring rain. He squinted, trying to make out the figures he was seeing. The air was moist and humid, smelling of wet grass and dirt. He opened his umbrella, and stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

"So much for an umbrella," he grumbled under his breath, feeling his already wet shirt cling to his body uncomfortably.

He made his way carefully to his flower shop and checked on them. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the net was still tightly secured over his precious flowers. He walked over, tracing his fingers along the slippery wooden wheel at the front of his cart.

"Good, they're perfectly safe," he said to himself.

His eyes scanned the area, and then lit up in shock.

_No._

He crouched down, and squinted more. He felt his heart drop to his stomach. Ever so carefully, Cam picked up what looked like to be a flower, lying on the ground, flattened and tattered. He gritted his teeth.

It was a flower. A red rose, a very popular one he sold in the summer time. Most of the petals were torn off, the bud flattened and squashed. The petals that hadn't fallen were just barely attached to the bud, hanging limp and soaked, the bright colour literally washed away. The stem was now brown and mushy between his fingers. It drooped in his hands.

Dead.

All that time he spent on it just to be ruined in mere seconds because of a typhoon. Yes, he really despised the rain right now.

Then a huge thunder clap cut through the air, filling the town with its loud ringing. Cam almost jumped out of his skin in surprise, but for a different reason.

He didn't know if he was imagining things, but he swore he saw someone walking towards him as the thunder boomed, lighting the sky for a couple of seconds. In those seconds of flashing lights, he saw it reflect off of someone's hair, gleaming skin, and umbrella, casting a shadow on the cobblestone. Then the fog and rain clouded his eyesight, and the person was gone.

No, that couldn't have been a villager. Everyone was forced to stay indoors because of the weather. It was a typhoon, for crying out loud! Who would want to work in such nasty weather?

"Who's there?" Cam called over the sound of the rainfall. He tried to keep his voice firm, but his throat tightened and his heart hammered.

_Who would spend their day outside in a storm like this?_

"O-oh... hey, Cam," the person replied. Cam could imagine the person was smiling, and he knew the exact kind of smile she was wearing.

"Lillian," he said bluntly, taking a step towards her voice.

He could see her now. He could make out the shape of her body through the rain as she got closer, hopping on the steps.

"Boy, we're having a pretty bad storm today," he stated casually.

The rancher exhaled slowly, "Yeah, I know."

Cam realized as she got closer, that she was wearing her work clothes. The outfit Ash said he liked. On the other hand, Cam replied saying he's seen better.

When she was standing in front of him, he got a clearer view of her, and she was covered in mud and drenched with rain. As soaked as she was, she still held her neon yellow and purple umbrella over her head. At least it stopped her clothes from getting even more wet.

_Stupid girl._

Lillian's unique, purple eyes lit up in surprise. "Oh, right..." she began, and searched through her pockets, "I got something for you. I know how much you like flowers, so when I found it in the mountains today I immediately thought of you." She let out a light, breathy laugh, it almost got drowned out by the rain.

She pulled out a bright, yellow moondrop flower. Cam could tell she was telling the truth about finding it today. It looked so fresh and had high quality.

"That's for me? Really?"

She nodded and extended her hand towards him.

"Wow, that's so nice. Thanks," he breathed, happy to see something alive. He placed it in his chest pocket, making a mental note to place it in a vase when he went back inside.

Then it hit him. He raised his eyebrows in shock. "What were you doing on the mountain?"

"Just foraging like usual," she replied simply, "Are Howard and Laney inside?" She tilted her head curiously.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Okay!" She smiled again, some water dribbling down the creases of her cheeks when she smiled.

Cam narrowed his eyes at her. "How long were you out here? In the typhoon, I mean."

"Oh, I just did my work like any regular day," she answered. She said it like it was no big deal. Like there was no problem or any certain danger that could occur when she was working during a _typhoon_.

He sighed, closing his eyes. "Lillian, that's so bad! Do you know how dangerous it is? And here you're prancing around town giving gifts to everyone and striking up conversations."

Criticizing and contradicting. Cam found himself doing that a lot to Lillian. Even though she was known for being a strong, independent and hard worker, he found this girl too ditzy - an airhead, to be more specific. She just didn't know when to stop working unless someone told her and asked her to stop and take a break. This time, she wasn't even doing any errands or requests! She was just talking to the villagers because she wanted to!

Then again, he was standing out in the pouring rain too. What a hypocrite! He had to think of a reason quick before she caught on...

"I'll be fine, really," she said, placing the hand that was free on her hip.

Didn't Cam just say that to Laney? Lillian was an interesting girl... Cam found her so confusing.

"So what are _you_ doing out here?" She asked teasingly, poking him with a wet finger.

And... she caught on.

She left a drop of water on his shirt. Usually, he'd be mumbling out an answer, but he replied, "I'm just checking on my flowers, not wasting my time trying to have a social life."

"It's not that I want a social life, it's something I have to do," she said.

"Having a social life is something you have to do?" He inquired.

"I wouldn't say it's for the social life. It's... hard to explain," she began, "I guess, it's kind of my duty to make sure everyone's okay and happy, y'know?"

Was this girl even happy?

"And just who the heck gave you that duty?" He questioned, "Shouldn't that be the Mayor's job?"

She placed a finger over her lip. "Secret."

Cam rolled his eyes. Whatever, he didn't have time for her crazy stories right now. So then why...

Why was he still standing in the middle of the typhoon with her? He could've left her ages ago, ignored her when he saw her and let her come to him in the café. He could've continued on with his day knowing that his flowers were okay now.

"What happened there?" Lillian's voice came out gentle and soft, "Did one of your flowers wilt?" Her slender fingers pointed at the dead rose in his hand.

He almost forgot he still had it there. He answered, "Yeah. Stupid typhoon."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said quietly, as if the flower's "death" really meant something to her.

The wind howled and Cam struggled to keep his hat on. He grumbled, "S'alright, I guess."

Ever since Lillian and Cam went out a couple times on a date, she's been very friendly towards him. Well, there was never a time when she wasn't friendly, but now the two were closer than before. Still, even Cam noticed that he hasn't really changed when it came to expressing his feelings.

It was always work. And work meant flowers. It's not like he minded anyway. That was something they both had in common: work. Whenever they did go out though, they made the most out of it because they both knew how busy they were. Still, Cam's expressions towards her did not change, but Lillian's did.

"So are you going to stay out here until the storm clears out?" The rancher said, leaning towards him. "I know how much you care about your flowers, but don't stay out too long!" She smelt of herbs and mint.

"Maybe, I don't know. How about you? You can't stay out too long either then." He replied.

She shrugged. "Laney and Howard are the last on my list then I'll be heading home." She gave him a sweet smile. "I'll be going into the café, then."

Cam didn't even think when he replied, "Sure, I'll come too."

His breath quickened. Did he just say that? Never mind...

Lillian nodded at him, smiling. As they were both walking in, Cam was mentally swatting away a thought that kept coming whenever he saw her, or the flower that was placed in his chest pocket.

Maybe Cam couldn't move... He couldn't leave his shop not because of his flowers. They were fine; he knew that for a while when he checked on them. It was because he was waiting for her to get out of the typhoon too. Was it because in the back of his mind, he feared that something would happen to her in the storm as well?

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**A/N: I have the worst case of Writer's Block so I'm turning to Harvest Moon for some help... This will be a two-shot. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please tell me how I did with a review. Thank you for reading :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Better Than Flowers

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When Lillian and Cam went out for the first time and he told her more about herself (for a change since it was always Lillian talking), she admitted to him that she thought Laney and him were siblings. That meant she thought Howard was his father.

How oblivious the girl was then.

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_"So, Cam," Lillian began, looking straight into his eyes._

_He impulsively looked away. He found it so uncomfortable when he made eye contact. It was so nerve racking; being all friendly and close - especially with someone like Lillian, with her striking eyes. They were sitting outside by the flower bed._

_But then again, he was the one who asked her out. She just seemed... interesting to him, that's all. Cam, you idiot._

_"Do you like it here?" she asked softly, "In Bluebell?"_

_Cam perked up from staring at his twirling thumbs. "Uh, yeah, I guess."_

_"I'm glad to hear that. I love living here too," she commented._

_"Yeah..." he murmured, nervously adjusting his tie then sticking his hands in his pockets._

_He was pretty sure he said he "guessed", not "loved" living in Bluebell._

_She nodded. "You told me you lived in the café with Laney and Howard. You three seem close."_

_"Sure, but it's nice to escape sometimes, like on Mondays-"_

_"Is that why you're always gone? You want to get away from them?" She gasped slightly._

_She really was an oblivious, nosy, and rude girl. Cam sighed, "No, I study in the city."_

_She smiled, "Wow! I've been to the city once... It's so crowded there!"_

_Cam smiled back a bit. "You get used to it. And whenever I come back, Ash is there to greet me. It got annoying at first, but you get used to that too."_

_She giggled. Cam blinked in surprise. Once. Twice. She _giggled_. He didn't know that was possible. Well, he saw her laugh a lot with Ash and the other villagers, but never him. She found him... funny?_

_He snapped back to reality when she spoke up. "But anyway, back to Laney and Howard..."_

_"What about them?"_

_"At first, I thought you were Laney's older brother," she chortled._

_Cam scratched the back of his head, a confused look etched on his features. "Really?"_

_Lillian nodded, stifling a laugh. "Yeah, you both had blond hair and the same green eyes... Sometimes you look alike."_

_"Just because of our physical appearance?"_

_"Same facial expressions sometimes, too!" She added._

_"Oh," he paused. "But Howard... You thought he was my dad?"_

_Lillian laughed even more. "Yeah, that's kinda when I realized that maybe you weren't related. The way you acted around each other and how you - for some odd reason - didn't um, take after him."_

_"Take after him?" It was Cam's turn to question her._

_She shrugged her delicate shoulders. "Your personality is so different from his."_

_"So you just assume that since I'm nothing like him, we can't be related?" Cam stated._

_She frowned, "Well, I just thought... because Laney and Howard are sometimes alike too..."_

_"Wait, er- we're not related," he sighed, "and I didn't mean for it to come out so harshly. Sorry."_

_"It's alright," she smiled, "I like talking to you."_

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The memory came to him as they walked in and were greeted by the father and daughter, both smiling cheekily. They glanced at each other occasionally with a strange glint in their eyes, as if going on about some inside joke only they knew.

As if. No. _They were._

Cam sighed to himself. The two always got excited whenever they saw him talking to someone. They're still like that even when Ash comes over to his shop.

"We care about you, Cam!" They both would tell him.

It's great that they care, but they get irritating, hovering over him as he attempts to strike a conversation. They were like mosquitoes, thirsting for gossip while sticking their long noses into other people's business - Cam's business.

Then again, as annoying as it was, he just got used to it.

Laney smiled sweetly at Lillian. "What brings you here during a typhoon, Lillian? Did Cam drag you out here?" She looked over to him. "Is that why you were out for so long?"

"No," Cam replied bluntly, "it's a coincidence."

Lillian nodded then pulled out some chamomile from her rucksack. "Here you go, Laney."

"That's one of my favourite things! Thanks! This makes me really happy!" Laney smiled warmly, accepting it happily. "I'll put it in my storage... I might make a new recipe with this ingredient. Some flowers are edible. Did you know that?"

The rancher nodded, violet eyes gleaming. "I'm glad you like it! Is your father here?"

"Hello, Lillian! You're a real sweetheart, you know that?" Howard beamed, intertwining his fingers together.

"Thank you, Howard," she giggled in response, "I brought you a Magic Red Flower."

Howard smiled sweetly, like melted chocolate, "Ooh! Thank you!"

Cam observed the smiles on their faces, how contagious Lillian's cheeriness was.

"Stay a while, Lillian!" Laney offered, "Until the typhoon dies down a bit at least. The café may not be open, but at least you have some company."

"Thanks, but I should get going," Lillian replied, smiling sadly.

"No no, please stay!" Howard pleaded, "It's so dangerous outside! The weather reports said it would clear up soon!"

Lillian glanced over at Cam suddenly. "Why are you so quiet? Are you alright?"

Cam snapped back to reality and felt his face heat up. He tugged down at his hat. "Yeah. Uh- sorry about those two, they're really dramatic."

"Are not!" They both protested.

The farmer girl chuckled, "Thank you so much for your offer, but I really have to go and check on my animals. Don't worry, I'll be just fine."

Howard pouted, "Okay, just be careful on your way home!"

"And be safe!" Laney added.

"Bye, thank you," Lillian smiled sweetly while waving as she headed for the door.

Cam simply nodded at her. "Bye."

"Nice talking to you again, Cam," she stated, her face tinted a rosy pink. He blinked in surprise. It's been a while since he saw an expression like that from her. Lillian left, the three watching her from the window.

"Aw, poor girl." Howard sighed, "She works too hard."

"But you have to admire her for that," his daughter mused.

"It gets annoying," Cam grumbled, "She thinks she can to do everything. She doesn't know how to take care of herself. She doesn't think about herself for once. That's going to get her into trouble."

"Worried, are we?" Howard laughed lightly.

Cam sighed in annoyance. "No, not really."

Laney gawked at him. "You're so mean, Cam!"

"I'm just saying."

Everyone returned to their rooms, hoping the dreadful storm to pass. He stared outside his window, watching the hard rain splash at the glass.

Ugh, how much he hated the rain right now.

Not only was it incredibly dangerous for both him and his flowers, but it was also sickly hot and humid. He did not hate it- he despised it. It was an uncomfortable feeling and he was sure the flowers felt the same too. It was the same feeling he always experienced whenever he talked to someone.

But when he talked to Lillian today, all those feelings simply vanished, like the warmth of her voice melted all his worries away.

That stupid, confusing girl walking in the middle of a typhoon. Would she even make it out alright in that kind of weather?

Suddenly, he was struck by so many emotions, it felt like someone had hit him straight in the gut. He was the foolish one.

Lillian said she'd be fine, right? He could trust her.

The words he just said about her repeated and echoed in his head.

_"She thinks she can do everything. She doesn't know how to take care of herself. She doesn't think about herself for once."_

_Maybe... not._

Cam felt a rush of guilt just remembering how quickly he dismissed her, not even thinking about what could happen to her.

He didn't tell the two that he was leaving. There was no time for that. He slipped on his shoes, despite the fact that they were still wet from going outside and stepping in the puddles. He whipped out his umbrella and headed for the door.

He looked around, squinting through the heavy rain. It beat down on the pavement, battering at his umbrella. The sound was so distracting.

"Lillian!" He called, spitting out rain that entered his mouth. "Lillian!"

He ran passed the statue in the town square, shouting her name through the rain until he heard a feeble voice reply, shaking with fear.

"C-Cam?"

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, she's perfectly safe." He said to himself.

He found her, standing still in the rain, holding herself up by clinging onto a tree nearby. She was so close to home. Why was she still out?

_No._

"Lillian, what's wrong?"

He swore he could see tears mixing with the raindrops.

"I- I slipped then twisted my ankle on the way back," she replied, "It hurts to walk."

"My Goddess," he sighed in exasperation. "Okay, don't move. I'll help you," he said bluntly, and rushed to her carefully.

She gasped in surprise and froze as she waited for him to approach her. He extended a hand towards her and commanded, "Hold onto me."

She obeyed without hesitation, leaning and putting all her weight on him. Surprisingly, she was a little heavier than he imagined her to be, but he didn't mind. She was soaked to the bone, the water seeping into his own clothes.

"I'll bring you home," he said quietly. "It's good I found you."

"Thank you."

He grunted in reply.

"So," she breathed, her eyes fluttering as she limped her way back home, "why are you out in this typhoon? Checking on your flowers again?"

"Actually, no," he admitted, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks.

"That's a first..." she muttered. After a short pause, she added, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry I made you worry."

If it were any other day, he'd be in denial and calling her an idiot. But, he didn't. No, Cam had realized something.

He replied, "S'alright, I guess."

"So are you planning to stay out here until the typhoon dies down?" She asked casually.

They were almost home, now. Just a few more feet.

"Maybe. I don't know. Probably until I see you safe inside your house," he answered.

Words were just spilling out his mouth, weren't they? He never felt this embarrassed before. His heart was pounding against his chest.

"Oh. Thank you."

"Lillian, I-"

"Why?"

Cam questioned, "What do you mean 'why'?"

"I thought all you cared about was flowers, really. Why are you suddenly-?"

It was his turn to cut her off.

"Well Lillian," he began, clearing his throat, "it's because- I guess I found something I like more than flowers."

There, he said it. All this time, he was just thinking about Lillian and was worried about her safety. Is that so hard to take in? Cam, the cold, quiet, florist finally found someone he cared about more than flowers.

There was a long pause, the only sound in the town was the rain - the uncomfortable sound of the rain that Cam despised so much.

"I'm sorry, that came out weird," he whispered, as he brought her to her door.

She limped inside, and gave him a sweet smile which made his face flush.

"No, don't be. Thank you, Cam. I like talking to you. I like being with you too."

Suddenly, she reached out to him and cupped his face in her hands, placing a light kiss on his cheek. Her lips were warm against his skin. The feeling was nice after the cold wind and rain. Cam inhaled the scent of herbs and mint - her scent. She was so close to him. Cam's eyes widened in shock as she pulled away. She giggled at his reaction.

"I'll... I'll be heading home now," he managed to say, blushing furiously. "See you around."

"Will you be okay on your way home?" She asked, concerned, "You... are very important to me, I don't want you to end up like how I did."

He smiled warmly at her. "I'll be fine, really."

She smiled back, "Okay."

She softly closed the door as Cam spun around to head back to the café. The typhoon started to pass as he made his way back. Cam still had a boyish smile on his face, something his lips barely made. He clutched tightly onto his umbrella.

He looked down at the moondrop flower that nestled in his chest pocket. Its brightness stood out from the gloomy sky.

Huh... he had found someone he cared about more than his flowers.

To him, Lillian was better than flowers. She truly was more beautiful than one he had ever picked. Her warmth and scent was more soothing than any other flower. Her eyes were a more brilliant shade of violet he had ever seen.

Her smile was sweeter than any bud. Her lips were softer than any petal he had touched. As much as an idiot Lillian was, she was stronger than a flower without a doubt too, withstanding a typhoon.

Maybe he didn't despise the rain _that_ much.

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**A/N: That's it! :) It's pouring where I am right now. Got me in the mood to write the last chapter! Hope you enjoyed this two-shot! Please tell me how I did with a review. Thanks for reading.**


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